DiCaprio and Maguire make a great team! Leonardo DiCaprio gives a great performance as Gatsby and Toby Maguire as Nick Carraway. Based on the Novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Director Baz Luhrman was the right choice to make the 20′s roar again! Carrie Mulligan captured Daisy Buchanan so beautifully that you will want to slap her, because Daisy’s thinking is twisted! The scene where she is speaking about her daughter really demonstrates this because in the scene she is talking about what her hopes are for her child and she states that she wants her to grow up to be a fool. So Daisy can definitely use some work in the parenting department.

The costumes designed by Catherine Martin are beautiful and stay true to the period of the film. The 3D effects really don’t make or break the film. In fact it’s really not needed, however when the camera scales down buildings it does add an element of fun like plunging straight down on a roller coaster. The party scenes are over the top just as you would expect them to be in a Baz Luhrman film, who incidentally also co-wrote the screenplay. But no matter how good the initial film is it does have its flaws.

That main flaw would be the soundtrack. It is true a soundtrack can make or break a film. It is also very obvious that Shawn ‘JZ’ Carter produced the film because he is all over the soundtrack. The songs are way off  and really don’t remind you of the roaring 20′s especially with the songs he has chosen. Even the  remade version of Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”, really doesn’t quite fit. So be prepared for some “WTF” moments. This film is full of those moments thanks to the awkward soundtrack.

Overall if you  can get passed the soundtrack it is possible to enjoy this film. The acting is superb. The visuals are bright especially on the party scenes at Gatby’s house and will definitely catch your attention. It is a definite must see! This film gets 4 out of 5 popcorn bags.

Awesome! Robert Downey Jr. has done it again! He returns to reprise his role as Tony Stark / Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle returns as James Rhodes. Under the direction of Shane Black all of the actors give good performances. Even John Favreau who usually directs the films acts in the film as Happy Tony Stark’s friend and head of his security.

This film has everything from romance, humor, revenge and action, action and more action. Guy Pierce is the villain Killian in the film with some quite unusual powers. Through transforming wounded soldiers into the ultimate weapons and regenerating their missing limbs and giving them super strength, speed and agility he produced the perfect killing machine or so he thought. Even the perfect killing machine has its glitches.

Killian creates a terrorist called Mandarin played by Ben Kingsley who is very funny in the film. The special affects really enhance the film. The scenes where Iron Man is flying make it seem like he is flying right to you. Plus the scene where the flight crew is  falling is a great use of the 3D effect because you feel like you are falling too. The soldiers powers of melting things is another great special effect. Pepper even got a chance to shine in the film when she got injected with the super powers of the soldiers and ends up saving Tony.

The story makes sense and it also shows Tony out of the suit proving he is more than his Iron Man suit. He proves that he is Iron Man. If you want to be thoroughly entertained with an unexpected movie going experience than this is the film to see! From the opening credits to the end credits this film will captivate you. It has something for everyone! It gets 5 out of 5 popcorn bags.

Delightful! You are invited to the best wedding of the year! The cast is superb! Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton play a divorced couple Don and Ellie that agree to pretend to still be married in order to not upset their adopted son Alejandro’s  played by Ben Barnes relationship with his biological mother Madonna played by Patricia Rae. Amanda Seyfried plays Missy Alejandro’s Bride to be. Susan Sarandon plays Bebe Don’s girlfriend, who was Ellie’s best friend. Katherine Heigl and Topher Grace play Don and Ellie’s other children Lyla and Jered and Alejandro’s siblings each with their own set of  issues. It is good to see Robin Williams bringing laughter again on the big screen as Father Moinighan an alcoholic Priest. The confession scene is hilarious because everyone had to fake it for Madonna’s sake. So one by one they each go into the confession booth and pretty much bs their way through it.

The laughs and love are definitely in abundance! All of the actors have great chemistry and it is apparent just how much fun they had making this film and how much they enjoyed working with each other.This film explores many subjects from virginity, love of exes, lesbians and even racism. This film has everything. There are no dull moments. You will laugh til you cry! No wedding this year will be more fun or finely cast.

One could say that the story centers around a family with issues, but also full of love for each other. From the opening scene to the ending scenes this film will grab your attention and won’t let you go until the end. And even then you will leave the theatre still talking about this film. It is that good! If you want to see a film with a good story, great actors and lots of fun then this is the film to see. It gets 5 out of 5 popcorn bags.

Ryan Gosling brings the excitement and Bradley Cooper brings the heat! Put them both together and you have a winning combination. Under the direction of Derek Cianfrance all of the actors give compelling performances. Ryan Gosling plays Luke a circus motorcycle rider who learns that he fathered a son with Romina played by Eva Mendez. Upon meeting and holding his infant son Jason for the first time he decides to leave the circus and settle down in hopes of having a new life and making a family with Romina. He didn’t count on her already being in a relationship and living with another man named Kofi played by Mahershala Ali who already considers himself to be Jason’s father.

To combat this problem Luke promises her that he would get her a house for she and Jason and anything else she wants. So he starts to rob to make his dreams happen more sooner than later. That is until he gets too cocky and greedy which leads to disaster and eventually his down fall. Which  also leads to his death when he is shot by Avery a Cop played by Bradley Cooper. His part of the story shows corruption in  law enforcement. It good to see Ray Liotta acting again on the big screen too bad he is playing an unscrupulous like the corrupt cop Deluca.

All in all this film is the perfect example of what goes around comes back around. It has action, lots of drama and tragedy. It also gives a powerful message to single mothers. That message is to tell your kids where they come from. If you know who their father is tell them the truth about who they are and not some fantasy myth you want them to be. Because in the end the truth always comes out. This film gets 3 out of 5 popcorn bags.

Inspirational! This film is fantastic and a must see! Set in 1968 during the Vietnam War four Australian Aboriginal women set out on the journey of a life time. Based on a true story this dynamic singing group had the potential to take the world by storm and for the most part they did. Under the direction of Wayne Blair all of the actors give beautiful performances. Chris O’Dowd plays the Sapphires Manager Dave Lovelace, who believes in the girls. Deborah Mailman plays Gail the leader of the group, who is the care taker of them all. Jessica Mauboy plays Julie the lead singer, who longs to be rich and famous to make a better life for her and her young  son. Shari Sebbens plays Kay also a lead singer, who is trying to figure out who she is and Miranda Tapsell plays Cynthia another singer in the group with a good voice, who was left at the alter by her fiance’ Jimmy played by Meyne Wyatt, so Cynthia is struggling to mend her broken heart by making up for lost time by dating other guys. Everyone in the group shares a common goal which is to be the best female group.

This film will take you on a roller coaster of emotions from laughter to tears. It even has a bit of romance proving you can find love anywhere. The film also addresses the topic of racism which in the sixties was going strong. The girls had to endure a lot of racism not just from whites, but also from within their own race because the fair skinned Aborigines were treated  differently from those with darker skin because they would get kidnapped and taught to be white, which is what happened to Kay. The scene where she is trying to help a white wounded soldier and he refuses her help because she is black really shows how deep the prejudices of color were even during war time when soldiers of all races fought side by side for a common cause.

This film is a definite must see. The music is fantastic and the story even more powerful and inspirational. It gets 10 out of 5 popcorn bags. That is how phenomenal this film truly is.

Yo Joe! This film has action, action and more action. Duane Johnson joins the cast as Road Block who leads the Joes after Duke played by Channing Tatum is killed. They really capture the friendship between Road Block and Duke and portray just how close they are. Bruce Willis also joins the cast as a retired General of the Joes. He brings his charm and swag to the character as well as his great comedic timing. After the team is ambushed as a result of an evil plot hatched by COBRA their nemesis to take over the world the Joes find themselves on the run and in survival mode. This film holds your attention from the opening credits to the end credits. All of the actors deliver good performances. This film also shows the bond of the Joes and just how strong it truly is and how strong they are as a unit. They consider themselves family.  The scene when they are ambushed by COBRA shows how well they work together because they jump in a well to escape and use teamwork to climb out and they stick together.

The special effects are also very good. The scene where Zhartan played by Arnold Vosloo pushes the button to destroy the world with the satellites look real. The ambush attack also is well done. The explosions are big and loud. The scene where Road Block drives the tank is really cool because even though he is driving it on land he is going so fast that it looks like he could fly it. The 3D effect doesn’t make or break the film, however there are some scenes that it enhances quite nicely. The exciting scene when Snake Eyes played by Ray Park and Jinx played by Elodie Yung kidnap Storm Shadow played by Byung-hun Lee and they are swinging from cliff to cliff. Very exciting!

This film is a definite must see! Everyone will enjoy this film. It gets 4 out of 5 popcorn bags.

The cutest prehistoric film of the year! Dream Works has done it again! The voice talents of Nicolas Cage as Grug the father, Catherine Keener as Ugga the mother, Emma Stone as Eep the daughter, Cloris Leachman as Gran the grandmother, Clark Duke as Thunk the son and Ryan Reynolds as Guy the young male that changes their lives were cast perfectly with each voice fitting their characters. With these unique names you know this is not going to be an ordinary film. There are also some really cute endearing characters such as the animals. Belt is one in particular. He is a sloth that Guy wears around his waist and he is also Guy’s best friend.

The 3D effect really doesn’t make or break the film. Plus there seem to be some missed 3D opportunities, but overall it is a good film. The powerful message about family is very important. The Croods have to deal with a lot from finding food, to environmental change to danger of being something else’s food. The way they hunt for food is funny because they spot their prey then run after it. It’s like watching a football game, because sometimes they even have to tackle it. They do this as a unit showing just how in sync they are as a family. Even the baby gets in on the action.

Anyone that is a parent of teenagers can relate to this film. It’s hard for Grug to let Eep and Thunk grow up and experience life foe themselves. Grug wants to protect his family especially his children. So when Guy comes along with new ideas on how to survive Grug is reluctant and gets over protective of his loved ones. He then learns that change is good and that it’s ok to let go and let his kids grow up. This film is a must see. It gets 4 out of 5 popcorn bags.

This film is bad and not in a good way! This definitely is not Disney! The acting is horrible especially Rapper Gucci Mane who can’t rap let alone act. He definitely won’t take his place among the ranks of good rappers turned good actors. The best part of this film is when the end credits roll and it is over! James Franco  plays a villain in the film that turns the girls into criminals who rob other spring  breakers. The repetitious dialogue gets annoying. The scene where Franco and the girls are preparing to embark on a heist to take down Gucci Mane’s character really displays how much repetition is within the dialogue. It is not your typical girls gone wild, but more girls gone stupid because the things they do are just plain stupid.

There are no special effects and really no excitement in this film. James Franco does a good job, but his character as well as this film is horrible. It is such a departure from what he has done in the past.  Why he even agreed to do this film is a mystery. Not even his good acting reputation could save this film. It is definitely not a must see in fact don’t waste your money for the DVD when it is released. This film gets 0 out of 5 popcorn bags.